


Defenders of the Wing

by Artryx_Garrison



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mechanics, Alternate Universe - Wings, F/F, F/M, M/M, Magic, Mecha, Multi, Slow Burn, War, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-10-01 23:03:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17253053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artryx_Garrison/pseuds/Artryx_Garrison
Summary: Humanity used to live above-ground. Many years ago, Humanity, the Galra Empire, and the kingdom of Altea all lived together peacefully. However, upon the discovery of an extremely powerful and easily corrupted material, quintessence, Zarkon, leader of the Galra Empire, waged war. First on Altea, leaving presumably no evidence it, or its people, ever existed.Then, he attacked Humanity. In order to save themselves, the humans retreated beneath the earth's surface.Now, the humans thrive below ground. Making scientific discoveries, always finding loopholes around the Galra's wicked ways.Now they've developed a new way to possibly overthrow the empire.Five pairs of mechanical wings, each tied to an element, and each capable of its own free will.Only time will tell if the people they've chosen to pilot them will prove worthy, and able to defeat the Galra once and for all.





	1. Chapter 1 - Water

When Lance had woken up that morning, he hadn’t expected to be pulled out of bed by his mother and forced into a nicer set of clothes. He was one of three siblings in his household that qualified for the Choosing.  
This was the first break that anyone had made recently in favor of everyone under the Galra’s thumb. A group of scientists, including the legendary Samuel Holt, had come up with a design that would at least put a dent in the Galra’s forces, and give everyone a chance to reclaim what they’d lost in the centuries-long dictatorship. Zarkon had somehow been ruling through all of the ten thousand years that the Galra have been in power. It was time to put an ending to his tyranny.  
Lance nervously adjusted his collar, and walked out the door, his sisters Veronica and Rachel by his side. Nadia and Sylvio weren’t quite old enough to qualify, and Luis didn’t qualify because he was a little over the age limit. His mother ushered them to the growing crowd in the plaza, and from there she left them to their own devices. Everyone that qualified was ushered into a large, dome-like room.  
There he was. The only military officer that had ever gone out and returned. Takashi Shirogane. Matt Holt and Samuel Holt had gone with him, but neither returned. Matt was working with an above-ground coalition, and Sam was sending everyone in the Underground intel from the inside. That was where they’d gotten the knowledge and designs to make this a reality.  
“People of the Underground. I’m sure you’re very excited about what’s happening here today. I, Takashi Shirogane, have been assigned the black wings. Today, the remaining four pairs will choose their partners. One by one, we will open their containers, and if they have a connection with you, they will connect with you via a beam of energy. We’ll bring out the red wings first.”  
A large metal box was brought out, and set on a long table. It was rattling, struggling to contain the raw energy that was being kept inside. Shiro slowly opened the box, and the wings sprang to life, lighting up. Almost immediately, they connected with someone in the crowd, a red beam of light enveloping them.  
To Lance’s dismay, he could recognize that stupid mullet anywhere. The Red Defender was Keith Kogane, top of the class at the Garrison before he was booted from the program on behalf of his poor behavior.   
The same process was repeated with the green and yellow wings, the green ones connecting with a kid named Pidge Gunderson, who couldn’t have been more than 14 years of age. The yellow wings bonded to none other than Hunk Garrett, Lance’s best friend in the entire Underground.  
The only pair of wings left was the blue one. The most adaptive of the five. Assigned the element of water.  
Shiro opened the box, and the wings seemed to shudder, hesitating. Before Lance even realized it, people were calling his name, and he was enveloped in a blue light. He was ushered onstage with the other four, still not fully registering what was happening.  
She had chosen him?

When meeting with the other Defenders, Lance felt small. In front of him were some of the greatest people in the Underground. Shiro, he’d gone to the surface on a mission, and returned. Hunk, he was the bravest person Lance knew, and his cooking was phenomenal. Pidge? Her dad was Samuel Holt, the greatest scientist of the century. Even Keith, he’d bested Lance so many times at the Garrison before he’d been kicked out.  
What did Lance have? He was just a boy from the southern district, where the water ran clear and the people had families so large that they couldn’t be contained in one house. He had nothing compared to them.  
And aside from the other Defenders, there were two ancient Alteans standing in front of him! Two people, whose race had been obliterated ten thousand years ago! Princess Allura, and her advisor, Coran, were the last of their kind. They’d lost everything, and yet both of them managed to be strong in the face of such a terrifying mission.  
“Lance.” He looked up, shocked out of his mental state at the sound of Shiro’s voice. He could think about that later, for now they had a job to do.  
“Did you get that?” Shiro asked, giving him a slightly concerned look. Shit, he knew what was up.  
“N-no... My mind was in a different place, sorry.” He stammered through his response, his hand resting on the back of his neck. The wings were still there- well, the base was there. The expansive stretches of metal that were the wings themselves were hidden away, folded.  
“Training begins tomorrow morning, we’ll go over how to open your wings and do some sparring against each other, in pairs. Princess, if you’re comfortable explaining how the wings work, since you know the science behind them, could you do so?” Shiro asked Allura. His attention seemed divided as well.  
Lance was glad to know he wasn’t the only one. Everyone, now that he looked at them, seemed a little distracted. When Allura gave a nod, everyone said their goodbyes, and left. Lance and Shiro were the last ones left.  
“Starting tomorrow, you won’t be able to see your family… We’re training on the surface.” Shiro looked at Lance, his grey eyes piercing, and seemingly older than the body they were attached to.  
“I know. I’m going to say my goodbyes… Do you have anyone?” Lance asked, his curiosity piqued. His question was answered mostly with silence, before a small “just one” was heard from the man’s lips.

When Lance reached his home in the southern district, he was greeted with a plethora of garlic knots, hugs, and other forms of affection from his family. Everyone, even his papa, who he’d thought to be made from stone had misty eyes.  
“Tonight, mijo, we celebrate!” His mother seemed to be the most excited about it all, frantically bustling about and helping him with packing his things. It seemed, while they partied, that no one could tear the smile off of Lance’s face.   
That night, his twin cousins Sylvio and Nadia slept in his bed with him. This was the last night he would see anyone from his family for a while… Maybe forever.  
While the twins slept, Lance had time to think about the crazy chain of events that led to him being chosen. He turned his head to look over at the base of the wings that had chosen him. The curly-q designs carved into the metal to conduct quintessence- life magic- pulsed with a soft blue glow.  
He could have sworn he heard the soothing voice of Blue lulling him into sleep.


	2. Chapter Two: Forest

Pidge woke early to her alarm, and was quickly filled with a sense of dread. Today was the day she would have to leave her only family in the Underground behind, her mother and Bae Bae, their bull terrier. She was not looking forward to seeing the look on her mother’s face.  
She got up, and dressed, grabbing her backpack full of clothes and equipped with home-built technology, before heading downstairs, where her mom was waiting for her in the kitchen with a light breakfast.  
“What’s the square root of fifteen thousand ninety two?” She asked, smiling. Her eyes were teary.  
Pidge smiled, and with confidence, answered. “One hundred twenty two, point eight five, after rounding up to the second decimal. I love you mom.” She hugged her tight, burying her face into her shoulder. “I love you too, Katie.” She could feel her mom’s tears hitting her neck.  
She pulled away, and looked up at her, smiling. “I’ll be home. I promise.”

When Pidge arrived to the elevator with the others, she had completely desensitized herself. She was numb, a blank slate, with only two goals in mind. Find her family. Save the world. She had no idea what she was up against, but she was determined. These two goals repeated in her mind like a mantra.   
She was snapped out of it by a gentle hand resting on her shoulder. She looked up, and Coran was there, a comforting smile on his face. It was only then that she realized she had been playing with her knuckles-- Specifically the ring her father had left her when he went on the mission to surface base Kerberos.   
“You alright Pidge?” He asked, his accent thick, and pleasant. “If you need anything you can tell me.” He was like the overbearing uncle that really cared about his nieces and nephews.  
“I’m fine, just nervous. The surface is where my dad and brother are… I’m going to find them.” She answered, her fingers trembling slightly. Coran gave an encouraging smile.  
“That’s the attitude to have. Alright everyone! When we reach the surface, we’re going to be in a contained area outside of the Galra’s vision.” He addressed them all, and the elevator stopped moving. The doors hissed as they slid open, and a blinding light flooded the small space.  
“What is that!? Coran, you said this place was safe!” Hunk cried, cowering from the light.  
Pidge held her hand out and felt the gentle heat envelop it. Her skin developed goosebumps, and a slow smile spread across her face.  
“It’s not a weapon,” she spoke. “It’s the sun.”

Everyone eventually made their way out of the elevator, Hunk being the last. Shiro looked around the base, the large observatory windows letting the sunlight filter in, and Pidge found herself drawn to a side room that had her brother’s name scrawled onto a sheet of paper on the door.  
“It’s exactly how we left it…” Shiro muttered, letting his hand brush along a piece of fabric. It was his scarf, the one he’d brought up during the thick of winter, when they left the Underground. His eyes turned misty, and he shook his head.  
“I’m sorry. It’s hard to be here right now. Pidge, if you want you can go look through your family’s things.” She nodded, and everyone broke off to do their own thing and get settled. She could hear Lance and Keith squabbling over the loft with the observatory telescope, before coming to a truce. Lance would take one half, Keith would take the other, and they would be very far away from each other. Very. Far. Away.  
She snickered, and looked to her brother’s door again. She opened it with caution, careful to make sure she didn’t disturb anything. She flicked on the light, and her eyes widened when she caught sight of what was inside. He’d left his glasses…   
Tears began pricking the corners of her eyes, and she walked forward, gently picking them up. She placed them on her nose, and her vision cleared. She and Matt shared the same prescription, but Pidge had switched to contacts a while back. She’d brought them along, but… Now she just wanted to wear these. To feel closer to her brother.  
“Pidge?” Shiro poked his head in, and Pidge looked over at him.   
“Oh, hey Shiro… What’s up?” He walked in.   
“Your brother and father, they… They treated me like the family I lost. It really sucked, losing them. But, we’re going to get them back, once we learn everything we need to know about these wings.” He spoke softly. Pidge teared up, and hugged him.  
“Thank you… That’s something I really needed to hear right now.”  
Once Shiro left, Pidge found herself sitting on the edge of Matt’s old bed, dusting off the sheets. This would be her room while they were here in the base.  
She could only hope that her brother wouldn’t mind.


	3. Chapter Three: Fire

Keith always seemed to lose the ones he loved. His mom? She left. His dad? He died. And now Shiro, his brother, he’d left, and came back. He didn’t know what to think. And now, both of them were being sent to the surface, along with three Garrison cadets (he was still salty about getting kicked out) and the only two living Alteans that Humanity knows of! Things around him were crazy.   
“Hey Keith?” He was snapped out of his thoughts by Lance, who was looking through his things. “Did you see a little blue marble anywhere? I can’t find it, it’s my nephew, Sylvio’s…” He was clearly worried. Keith looked around.  
“It’s by your foot.” He pointed. Lance looked down, and smiled bright. “Hey, thanks!” He bent down and scooped it up, putting it back into the small bag it was originally in.  
Keith flopped down onto his bed, his arms up behind his head. He was just coming to terms with the fact that Red had chosen him. She was the dominant force in his mind, her near-constant purring resembling the crackling of a wildfire. The night before, he’d dreamed of her physical form. What she looked like.  
A huge, smoky red lioness, with paws bigger than his whole body. Her eyes glowed a bright yellow, and her claws, sharp as the knife on his belt. She was a force of guidance. She would push him in the right direction, as long as he stopped to listen. She was his second instinct, working against his natural ones.  
He got up and left the loft, going down the stairs. He could never sit still for long.  
“Shiro? You down here?” He called, looking around. Shiro’s head popped up over a desk he was bent behind. He stood.  
“Oh hey Keith! What’s up, is Lance being a handful?” He asked, crossing his arms.  
Keith snorted. “Nah, he’s fine. I’m just checking on you, the last time you were here, you left with the others and never came back… How are you holding up?”  
Shiro sighed, and took a seat in the swivel chair that was behind the desk. He rubbed his temples.  
“I’m alright. The thought of making sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else is what keeps me going right now-”  
He was cut off by the alarms blaring through the base. Both brothers bolted from the room, their wing bases flashing. They were quickly joined by the others, who were equally alarmed.  
“Allura, what’s going on!?” Hunk yelled, a panicked look in his eyes.  
“We’ve been spotted. There’s a Galra battle cruiser headed this way- And fast.” Allura explained, typing into the center console.  
“We’ve made renovations to the base, but left this quadrant completely untouched out of privacy aside from the console.” Coran elaborated, and a huge quake shook the entire base. Lance and Pidge fell, and Keith had to crouch to stay stable.   
Large wheels rose from beneath the ground, on either side of the base. They’d turned the entire thing into a vehicle. Smart.  
“Particle barrier up!” Allura shouted, and a force field seemed to materialize from thin air around the entire building.   
Just in time, too. A blast from the cruiser, a giant black and purple tank, nearly knocked the whole base on its side. A transmission came through.  
“Rebel fighters,” a deep voice rang through the commons. “I am commander Sendak. You will turn yourselves over to me immediately.” A face appeared on the large screen in the center of the room. A garish purple being with teeth sharp as knife blades, and furry ears as big as his head on either side. One of his eyes was missing, replaced by a bionic substitute.  
“Sorry-- Shithead was it? We’re not giving you anything.” Lance teased, crossing his arms. Keith had to hold back a laugh, even Shiro was snickering at that one.   
“You dare disrespect me? I’ll kill you all!” Sendak growled, and the hologram of his face disappeared. Another blast shook the base, and everyone lurched forward to keep their balance.  
“Defenders, you must learn to harness your power! We cannot keep Sendak at bay forever!” Allura pleaded.   
“We can keep the particle barrier up for about an hour, but you must hurry!” Coran opened the door, and each of the Defenders made eye contact with each other. Shiro barked an order.  
“Alright, let’s do this!” Everyone’s wings materialized behind them, and they ran outside.  
Keith’s wings, glowing a bright crimson color, felt like fire melting into his back. It spurred him forward, and forced him into the air. The others seemed to do the same, tails of violet, green, blue, and yellow following them.   
“Alright, we’re in the air, Allura, we need your help! What do we do?” Shiro called, and a mask of some sort folded over his face.   
The same happened to Keith, and the others. His mouth and nose were covered by an industrial fabric, and a filter in the front filtered in fresh air as he maneuvered through the air.The particle barrier was shaking, as Sendak continued firing on it. They didn’t have much time.  
“Try to connect with your elements! Forge a bond with your wings- They have a mind of their own, they can’t be forced!” The burning in Keith’s back intensified, urging him to pay attention. His eyes clenched shut, and he focused on that pain. Attempted to will it away.   
It spread from the middle of his back to his fingertips, tingling, then swarmed to his feet, through his toes. From there it blossomed into a more comforting sensation, and spread throughout his entire body. He could hear a low rumble in the back of his mind, along with the crackling of fire. His eyes snapped open, and he could see clearer. He could see every little detail- The particles of light in the barrier as they twisted to reflect the blasts from Sendak’s vehicle. Each individual blade of grass below him. The movement of his teammates’ pupils as they shrank and expanded.  
It was then that he realized he was seeing everything from Red’s perspective. She was the driving force in his mind, forcing him to view things from another angle. He trusted her blindly, and she accepted him.  
“Is everyone alright?” Shiro’s voice broke his train of thought. Everyone checked in. Everyone was fine.   
Everyone had managed to bond with their wings.  
“Good. Then let’s go.” Shiro led the way, making a beeline for Sendak’s cruiser.  
“Time to let him know who he’s dealing with.” Keith smirked.


	4. Chapter Four: Earth

Hunk was generally a gentle guy. He liked to cook and bake, and help his dad fix things. He was an engineer for the Garrison. That goes to say he doesn’t usually go running headfirst into battle wearing a pair of sentient mechanical wings on his back.  
The Galra? They’re terrifying, and Hunk would rather stay miles away from them. Preferably underground, where Humanity has been hiding peacefully for centuries. He felt safe down there. And no offense to Yellow, but he didn’t sign up for this!  
“Hunk, buddy, I need you!” Lance called from his left, being quickly overpowered by multiple drones that Sendak had released from his... Tank… Machine… Thing.  
Not knowing what else to do, Hunk barrelled straight for the group of drones tailing his friend. A sort of force field lifted around him, and he felt multiple impacts from multiple places. When he opened his eyes, (because he’d closed them, he was too terrified to look at them head-on), he realized he’d taken out an entire squad of drones by himself.   
“Whew! Thanks Hunk, man, you’ve got some tank power!” Lance called, laughter echoing in his voice. “Defenders! You need to focus on bringing your energy together, your wings can only carry you alone for so long before you’ll be taken out!” Allura shouted through the comms, desperation clear in her voice. The base took a direct hit.  
“Particle barrier at fifteen percent! Princess, we won’t last much longer!” Coran called, and in the corner of his eye Hunk could see the ginger man through the window frantically dashing between control panels.  
He took a good look around, and for the first time noticed a faint glow around each of his comrades. Each person carried a different color. He looked down at himself, and took note of the comforting yellow light surrounding him.   
“Guys, on me! Let’s see what these babies can do!” Shiro called, holding his arms out.  
Pidge and Keith darted towards him, taking either of his hands. Hunk reached out and took Pidge’s hand, filling the gap, while Lance (grudgingly) took Keith’s. The five Defenders hovered in a circle, and the radiating colors of their wings blended together. Suddenly, long columns of light enveloped each of them, and Hunk felt himself be encased in a soothing warmth. A tugging feeling gripped his chest, and he opened his eyes, seeing nothing but shades and tints of the color gold, before his vision whited out.  
A moment passed in complete silence. Then another.   
When the Defenders came to, they were in different positions than they were in before. Hunk’s viewpoint was from the ground, looking up. He looked to his right, and saw Lance in a similar position. He looked up, and Pidge, Shiro, and Keith were way above him.  
It was then that he noticed the thin lines of pure energy connecting each of them to each other.   
“Guys… Did we just combine?”   
They did. Now, instead of five humans with wings flying around and wreaking havoc on Sendak’s drones, one humanoid being made up of the purest form of energy known to the world- quintessence- stood towering over his tank.  
A purr ran through the back of Hunk’s mind, and he let out a laugh. “I’m a leg!”  
“How are we doing this!?” Pidge cried, laughter in her voice.  
“I-I don’t know! But now we have an advantage! Let’s finish this!” Shiro called, smirking.   
The large, glowing figure (with the people inside of it) took a step forward, and leaned down, pulling the cannon right off the top of the tank. All of the Defenders cheered, and Hunk’s leg lifted up. He noticed a tiny pod leaving the tank, but didn’t think twice. His foot came down hard, crushing the tank beneath it.  
It was over.

Back inside the base, the five Defenders sat together around a table, laughing and talking. They’d won the day- Now it was time to celebrate, and decide what their next steps should be.  
“Guys, do you realize how awesome and crazy that was!? It was like-- Crazy awesome!” Lance laughed, slurping out of a water pouch. Hunk chuckled to himself.  
“Incredible choice of words, Lance. But yeah-- When we were in there, all connected? That felt like the best rush I’ve ever had, it’s like I could tell what you were going to do before you did it. We’re like family in there!” Hunk grinned, looking down.   
“Adrenaline mess with your head a little bit?” Keith smirked at him. “Yeah… Maybe a little, yeah.”   
They all decided that they would be moving location the next day, after repairs to the base were finished. They were no longer safe here.  
“Hey, Hunk..?” Lance came up to the yellow Defender, looking down.  
“What’s up, buddy? You okay?” He smiled, placing a large hand on his friend’s shoulder.  
“... We’re leaving tomorrow. It just hit me that yesterday was the last day we’d ever get to see our families… At least for a while…” Lance looked up at him, tears in his eyes.  
Hunk paused, thinking for a minute. They really wouldn’t get to see their families until this war was over…   
“Well… If we don’t do this, there will be no Humanity to go back to. If we don’t fight, we’ll die. They’ll die. The Galra will win, Lance.” Lance looked down as Hunk spoke, and the larger man couldn’t help but feel sorry. He had parents and two siblings back home and that was pretty much it, but Lance? Lance had his ma and pa, his grandma and his grandpa, his older brothers Luis and Marco and his sisters, Veronica and Rachel, not to mention his niece and nephew Sylvio and Nadia, who both called him “Tio Lance”.  
“... I know that, Hunk. It’s just hard.” The blue Defender shifted to hold himself, and Hunk stepped forward, enveloping his best friend in a warm hug. “You’ll see them again, Lance. I know it sounds impossible, but you’ll make it back to them. You always find a way.” He smiled reassuringly, and Lance visibly relaxed in his arms.  
“Thanks buddy…”  
They parted ways, Lance heading up to the loft to go to bed. Quiet talking could be heard as Hunk made his way to his own room. Pidge waved goodnight to him before heading into her own room. Shiro was talking with Allura, and Coran was busy tapping away at his control panel, repairing the base’s defense systems.   
He couldn’t believe the chain of events that had led him to being here. First the choosing, then his last night at home with his mom and pop, coming up to the base, and on the first day of being here struggling through a battle that wasn’t even the least of their concerns?   
One thing was certain in Hunk’s mind as he laid down, hugging one of his two pillows.   
This was surely going to be a crazy adventure.


	5. Chapter Five: Sky

As the other four Defenders settled down for sleep, Shiro stayed wide awake. Even though he was exhausted, he couldn't sleep, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong. He'd noticed that during the fight a pod had left Sendak's tank, right as the group of five crushed it. He knew that they had to leave, and fast, if they wanted to avoid another conflict.  
“How soon will we be leaving, princess?” He asked, his arms crossed over his chest.  
Allura stood in front of him by the control panel, repairing the base’s systems. She didn’t look all that worried. “We will leave soon, Shiro, but first we have to focus on repairs to the base. Without them we will not be able to go anywhere.” She glanced up at him, and he could feel himself cringe at the look she gave him.  
“I’m sorry… I’m just worried. My team was captured by the Galra once, I won’t let it happen again.” Allura nodded. “I understand. Believe me, I do. But it’s imperative we repair the defense systems first, before we leave.” Shiro nodded. He understood.  
“Alright. I’m going to go back to my room, then… Goodnight, princess.” She nodded and turned back to the control panel, leaving him to his own. He turned and walked away, heading towards his room. He passed Keith on the way, and glanced at him. That kid… He’d come so far.  
“Keith.” He called, and the ravenette turned to look at him. “Yeah?”  
“How are you holding together?” Shiro asked, turning to look at him completely. Keith leaned against the wall. “I’m okay… What about you? Adam looked pretty upset that you were leaving again…” Shiro frowned when Keith mentioned his fiance back underground. Indeed, Adam really had been angry and upset with him, but he couldn’t just ignore his calling as a Defender.   
“... He was. And it sucked, having to leave him there.” He sighed. “I only hope he can forgive me when we get back home…”  
Keith came up and placed a hand on his shoulder. “He will. I know Adam just as well as you do, and he loves you.” Shiro let him have a small smile.   
“Who made you such a softie?” He asked, chuckling. Keith shook his head and punched his shoulder. “I’m going to bed. See you.” He disappeared up into the loft and Shiro shook his head, sighing.   
He eventually made it to his room, and when he opened the door, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. Nothing had changed since himself, Matt and Sam Holt were captured by the Galra. His desk along with the floor were still littered with papers when he’d had to get up. He’d knocked his leg against the table and the papers had flown everywhere…

Alarms rang throughout the base as the walls and floor violently shook. Something was coming, and it was big. He’d only enough time to get on his suit before the massive structure that was approaching them finally arrived. It looked to be a black tank, with gray and violet patterns on it. One design in particular stood out on the metal. It looked like an x, with two triangles facing each other and a spike coming down in the center.  
The Galra. They’d found them, they’d come to kill them, or take them away. Matt, the skinny brunette with gravity-defying hair, skittered over to the comms, desperate to contact someone, anyone, from the underground.  
But he was too late. The door was busted in, and soldiers from the Galra empire infiltrated the base. The three of them were quickly restrained, and taken in to the tank-like vehicle. They had no choice.

When Shiro came to, he realized that he’d managed to find an old spare suit of his and get it halfway onto his leg in his panic from the flashback. His breathing was heavy, and he had sweat gathering on his brow. His hand- the and of that stupid hunk of metal that the Galra had fused to his body and nerves- was glowing an insanely bright violet color. He’d gone into a full panic attack, and because of it he’d subconsciously activated his body’s new defense system.   
Once he managed to regain control of his arm, he took a careful seat on the bed, trying to control his breathing. He pulled the old suit off of his leg, and neatly folded it in an attempt to calm his mind. It worked, to a certain degree, and he relaxed a bit. This was different. He wasn’t going to lose this team.  
It wasn’t going to happen again.

The next morning everyone was roused by the same alarms that had alerted them of Sendak’s presence, and Shiro was the first to get up and out of his room, fully suited up. He’d learned from his mistakes as the leader of the Kerberos mission- He wasn’t about to make the same mistakes a second time and cost his crew their lives.   
Turns out, it was only a drill. Keith had shown up dressed and ready to fight, but without his wings, and Hunk and Pidge showed up in their pajamas. Lance didn’t show at all.   
“Look at you! Shiro is the only one with his armor and his wings, Keith, Pidge, Hunk, where are yours? And where’s Lance!?” The brunettes chose that exact moment to walk in, and Shiro could feel himself tense up, his eye twitching. He was in a robe, and his skin looked… Exfoliated?   
“G’mornin’ everybody. What’s going on?” Shiro didn’t miss the little glare that Keith gave him, nor did he miss the clearly annoyed look on Allura’s face. “We had to test the base’s alarm systems, and what better way to test you as Defenders as well. Guess who failed.”   
Hunk yawned, and scratched his chin. “Look man. You’ve had years to prepare for this, we haven’t. On Monday we were in the Underground being chosen by these magical sentient wings, yesterday we came to the surface and fought a huge Galra commander named Sendak who wanted us dead and formed Voltron-that was his name, right? Voltron?” Allura nodded. Her father had used the name when he first started working on the wings ten thousand years ago. “We formed Voltron for the first time, and then just crushed a tank and left it at that. That’s a lot to process in… What, three days?”  
Allura sighed. “I understand, I really do, but you must understand just how important the five of you are to the survival of your kind. Alteans no longer exist because of the Galra, Coran and I have no one but us left. Now it’s our responsibility to rise up and help train you to become the Defenders of Mankind.”  
Everyone grew quiet, and after a moment, Shiro smiled. “Defenders of Mankind, huh?” He looked to his wings.  
“That has a pretty nice ring to it.”


End file.
